Stand by Me
by Smurf2005
Summary: This is a story centered around a budding relationship between Charmain and Peter. Rated T for possible language, suggestive themes and kissing.
1. Which a Lazy Day Turns into a Busy Day

-1 A/N: Hello everyone! This is the very first story that I decided to write that doesn't have anything to do with anime. It's kind of weird really. I am so used to writing anime fan fiction. Anyways, I just finished the book, and wanted to write something about Charmain and Peter. I didn't see too many stories involving them. Anyways, I hope you enjoy it!

Disclaimer: I do not own _House of Many Ways. _It belongs to Diana Wynne Jones. If I owned it, there would be more romance….

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Chapter One: In Which a Lazy Day Turns into a Busy Day

Charmain awoke feeling very warm. As she moved her hand over the bed, she felt two small warm bodies. One was the body of Waif and the other was the body of her puppy, Steffy. After Waif gave birth, she had transferred the Elfgift over to Steffy. Charmain and her Great Uncle William kept the one puppy that had the Elfgift and Waif and gave the others to good homes. Peter had taken one, and the King took one and even Charmain's mother and her Aunt Sempronia took one. Charmain sat up and stretched. Waif and Steffy got up and wagged their tails.

"Are you two hungry?" she asked.

They both yapped and hopped off the bed. Charmain chuckled and grabbed her dressing gown. She walked down the hall and opened the door to the kitchen. She shut the door and hit the side of the fireplace.

"Two dishes of dog food, please!"

Instantly, two dishes appeared on the floor and Waif and Steffy gobbled up the food happily. Charmain smiled slightly at the two dogs before she ordered her breakfast. As she ate eggs and bacon, she looked out the window to the backyard. There was steam and smoke coming from the wash shed.

_'Oh right,' _she thought._ 'It's Wednesday. It's laundry day.'_

As she finished her breakfast, a little blue kobold appeared in the kitchen.

"Miss Charming," the little blue person said. "Today is laundry day. If you would be so kind as to bring your clothes outside, I will wash them for you."

Charmain nodded to show she heard and the kobold disappeared. Charmain got up and leaving the tray on the table (another kobold would clean it later), turned left and opened the door. As she walked down the hall, she glanced into her Great Uncle's study, only to find it empty. That was odd. When she reached her room, she pulled on a light blue skirt and white button up shirt. She pulled on her stockings and buttoned her shoes. She grabbed the basket she used for her dirty clothes and took it outside to the wash shed, Waif and Steffy following her happily.

After Charmain left the basket with the kobold, she wandered inside and checked the living room for her Great Uncle. He wasn't in there, feeling a little worried, she checked his room. After determining that he wasn't in the house, she went into the study and found a letter on his desk.

_My Dear Charmain,_

_I'm sorry, but I had to leave for Ingary early this morning so suddenly that I didn't have time to tell you. I needed to consult with Wizard Howl Pendragon on a matter. I have left you a few simple spells to work on while I am gone. I shan't be gone for more than two weeks. I will be back as soon as possible. I didn't have time to let Peter and the King know. Please be kind enough to let Peter know that his lessons with me will be postponed until I get back. There are copies of the spells for him as well. Please pass them on to him._

_Yours Respectfully,_

_William Norland_

Charmain couldn't help but smile. Finally! She could catch up on her reading. Since she moved in five years ago, she didn't have much time to read. She practically skipped down the hall to her room and grabbed the nearest book. She walked back to the living room, after grabbing the bag of food her mom had brought over just the day before. She settled herself on the couch and opened the book. She spent a few hours reading before she heard the unmistakable sounds of Peter arriving in the kitchen, via the magical hallway.

"Charmain! Wizard Norland! I am here for my daily lesson!" he yelled.

Charmain ignored him and continued to read. She had just reached the best part in the romance novel she was reading. As she read, she felt the heat rise in her cheeks and wondered if it was really like that.

The door from the kitchen burst open and there stood Peter in a new satin suit.

"There you are! But, where is Wizard Norland?" he asked.

Charmain looked up from her book, her face still a little pink.

"He went to Ingary to talk to Wizard Pendragon about something. He left us some simple spells to practice."

"I see. Hey, why is your face all red? Are you okay?" Peter asked, concern written all over his face.

"Wha? Yeah, I am just fine, why wouldn't I be?" Charmain asked.

Peter grabbed the book out of Charmain's hands and after taking one look at the front, comprehension dawned on his face.

"Since when did you start reading _romance _novels?" he asked, his cheeks turning a little pink.

"Um, this is my first one," Charmain whispered, a little ashamed. "I was wondering what it was like."

An uncomfortable silence formed between them.

"How about we go practice those spells?" Peter said, trying to change the subject.

"You can go on," Charmain said, grabbing the book from Peter. "I am going to keep reading."

"Fine, suit yourself."

Peter finally left Charmain to her book. She sighed happily and continued to read. She read for a good hour before she started to feel uncomfortable. She had a bad feeling that something bad was going to happen. She tried to ignore the feeling but couldn't.

Charmain stood, intending to go check on Peter to make sure he was still alive. As she put her book down, and explosion rocked the house. Charmain sprinted to the kitchen door and threw it open and after it closed behind her, she turned left and opened the door to bedrooms. There was smoke coming from the study.

"PETER!" she yelled.

She didn't hear anything, so she ran to the study without thinking. As she looked in, she couldn't see anything because of the smoke.

"Peter!" Charmain yelled again.

She heard coughing coming from the depths of the smoke and she heard him moving around. After a few minutes, he found his way out into the hall, where he took mouthfuls of the fresh air.

"Peter? Are you okay?" she asked.

He nodded, unable to talk. She raced down the hall to window and threw it open. She turned to face the smoke.

"You stupid smoke! You better go out this window or you'll be sorry!"

The smoke listened to her and drifted lazily out of the window. When it was all clear, Charmain took a good look at Peter. He was covered in soot from head to toe. He had a few cuts all over his body. Charmain walked slowly toward the study and looked in. The whole room seemed to be demolished. The bookcases where blown apart, the desk was non-existent, and the chairs were blown to pieces. The only thing that seemed to survive where the books.

"I must have done something wrong. I don't know what though."

Charmain sighed, and turned to leave the study.

"I am going to go get some buckets and rags and we are going to clean this room up. I'm sure we can find a repair spell or something," Charmain said.

She was hoping to spend a lazy day reading, but Peter turned it into a busy day, cleaning.

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A/N: So, what did you think of my very first non-anime story? I hope you all enjoy it, and I am working on my next chapter for _Colors of the Heart._ Please read and review. Reviews will be rewarded with cookies and pie. Please give me constructive criticism, but no flames.


	2. In Which Peter Makes a Confession

A/N: Hello all! I got chapter two done! It was hard since I work now. I found out I passed my test yesterday, so I am now officialy Customer Support for Abercrombie & Fitch. I'll be working with my younger sister. I didn't know she was doing the A&F project, too. That's cool. I'm planning on saving up some money to get a new laptop and then getting internet in the house. And I will get insurance. That makes me happy. Anyways, I decided not to write a lemon for this story. I don't have time and I am not comfortable writing it for this story. I may change my mind later. I am a very indecisive person. Enjoy chapter two!

Disclaimer: I do not own _House of Many Ways. _Diana Wynne Jones does. If I did, well, let's not go there.

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Chapter Two: In Which Peter Makes a Confession

As Charmain and Peter cleaned up the study, Charmain had a feeling that she was being watched. She glanced all over the study and didn't see anything. That's when she noticed Peter. Every time she looked in his direction, he seemed to have just turned his head away from her. She had a feeling that he was watching her. He had barely cleaned up his half of the room. Finally, after getting fed up with it, she threw the rag into the bucket and turned to face him.

"What is it, Peter?" she asked, slighty exsperated.

"Huh?" he said, looking up. "Nothing. I didn't have anything to say."

"Then why are you looking at me?" she asked.

"I'm not!" Peter said, indignatly.

"Oh, don't lie, Peter. I saw you!" Charmain said.

"I wasn't looking at you!" Peter said, his face turning red out of embarrassment.

Charmain sighed and picked up the rag again. It took them the rest of the day to clean up the room. Peter was still covered in soot, and Charmain even had some soot on her face and clothes. She wiped her brow with the back of her right hand and left a streak of soot on her forehead. They had just finished repairing the study, and Charmain was just a little upset that her day of reading was interrupted. Charmain picked up her bucket and took it outside to dump it out. She glanced around and didn't see the smoke from the wash shed or the clothes hanging out. While she was cleaning the study, the kobold must have finished the laundry and put it away. It was already dark, but she wasn't sure what time it was.

Peter had followed her, and she could feel his eyes on her back, but she ignored him. She walked across the yard and stopped at the fence. She looked out over the countryside and toward the city. The lights were on and the whole city looked like it was glowing. Charmain heard footsteps behind her and she turned around to see Peter walking toward her. Peter stopped beside her and placed his hands on the fence.

"The city looks beautiful from out here. I don't get to see this scene from the Palace," he said. "I wish I could still live here with you and Wizard Norland."

"It sometimes gets lonely here with just me and Uncle William," Charmain said.

"I'm going to ask the King if I can stay with you until Wizard Norland comes back. I can't leave you here by yourself!"

He rushed inside and left Charmain looking after him. Had he always been like this? Had he always been this nice to her? She couldn't remember. All of a sudden, she started to feel a little ashamed of herself with the way she had treated him over the years. She had been mean to him and he has only been nice to her. She sighed as she walked slowly into the house. She ordered two plates of dog food for Steffy and Waif and ordered herself some dinner. As she was finishing up dinner, Peter came back with a bag full of clothes.

"The King gave me permission! He said he didn't like the idea of you staying here by yourself for two weeks while Wizard Norland was away. He wants me to stay here with you. He even postponed my 'Prince Lessons'," he said.

"I'm sorry," Charmain said, suddenly.

Peter, who was in the process of ordering dinner for himself, stopped and looked back at Charmain in surprise. A tray appeared only half full of food, but Peter ignored it.

"What did you say?" he asked, baffled.

"I'm sorry," Charmain said again.

"Sorry for what?" Peter asked.

"For being so mean to you," Charmain said, quietly.

"When have you ever been mean to me?" Peter asked, astonished.

"Peter, you and I have known each other for five years now. There have been plently of times when I was rude to you."

"I never thought you were rude," Peter said, shrugging. "If I thought you were rude or mean, then I would have told you."

Charmain was quiet while Peter ordered another tray and devored both trays. She stood up and walked into the living room where her book was and picked it up to read it. She really couldn't read it. Her head was just buzzing with too many thoughts. Peter never thought she was rude? Was he being nice? Or was he so dense that he didn't notice when she was being rude? Charmain had her book open, but she wasn't reading it. Peter came in a few minutes later with a book and he settled down in a chair not far from Charmain and started to read as well. They were both quiet, with Peter reading and Charmain trying to read. Charmain, unable to read, got up and went to take her shower. What was wrong with her? Why couldn't she read her book? She had always been able to read no matter what, even with Peter around. She climbed out of the shower and went back into the kitchen in her pajamas. She was going to get a glass of warm milk before going to bed with Waif and Steffy. When she arrived in the kitchen, she saw Peter sitting at the table, apperantly waiting for her.

"Is something wrong?" he asked.

"Huh? What do you mean?" she asked.

"I was watching you while we were reading. A page in your book never turned," Peter said.

"Yeah, I am just fine," Charmain said, tapping the side of the fireplace.

A cup of warm milk appeared and she picked it up and took a sip. The milk warmed her up from the top of her head to the tips of her toes.

"Did I say something to upset you?" Peter asked, looking at Charmain with concern.

"No. Of course you didn't," Charmain said. "I'm just surprised that you didn't think I was being rude when I know I was."

"That's what you have been thinking about all this time?" he asked.

Charmain didn't answer. She spoke to Waif and Steffy and started for the hall with the bedrooms. That's when Peter reached out and grabbed her arm. Charmain looked at him confused.

"What is it, Peter?"

"Charmain, I have been wanting to tell you this for awhile now, but I like you," he said, his cheeks turning pink.

"I like you, too, Peter," Charmain said.

To her surprise, Peter sighed and looked down at the table.

"I knew you were going to say that," he said. "No, Charmain, I like like you."

Charmain scrunched up her eyes and tilted her head to the side, obviously confused.

"I don't understand," she said.

"Okay. Charmain, I love you. I have romantic feelings for you."

Charmain's eyes widened as it dawned on her what he meant.

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A/N: So, what did you think of Chapter 2? I notice that I have no reviews. That makes Smurf so sad. I work hard on this story and no one is nice enough to leave a review. I guess my story isn't good enough. Anyways, it would mean a lot if I get at least one review. Please? Anyways, constructive criticism is welcome, but please, no flames. See you in Chapter 3!


	3. In Which Charmain Rejects Peter

A/N: Hello everybody! Smurf here with a brand new chapter! This will be my last update of the year. So, look for chapter four sometime next year! Well, I have nothing to say, so, enjoy chapter three!

Disclaimer: I do not own _House of Many Ways. _Diana Wynne Jones owns it. If I owned it, well... I'd rather not say.

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Chapter Three: In Which Charmain Rejects Peter

Charmain was a little surprised. She didn't understand why Peter loved her. He was a Prince after all, he could have any girl in the Kingdom he wanted. Still in a daze, Charmain pulled her arm out of Peters grip and headed to her room. Waif and Steffy followed her happily, not realizing that something was wrong with Charmain. After Waif and Steffy jumped up on the bed, she closed the door and leaned against it. What was she going to do? She didn't think she could handle a relationship. Besides, she had never thought about Peter in that way. She had never even thought about being in a relationship with him.

Charmain climbed into bed and huddled underneath the covers. She heard Peter go into his room and heard the door shut. Peter was her best friend. How does one go from being best friends to being in a relationship? But, did she want to be with him? She didn't know what to do. She rolled over onto her stomach and groaned into her pillow. She tossed and turned all night. She hardly slept at all, so when the sun rose, she was so tired. She didn't know how she was going to stay up. Even hours later, her mind was buzzing with the events of the night before. How was she supposed to face him? She decided to act normal and not bring it up.

She got dressed and headed toward the kitchen with Waif and Steffy following her. As she came upon the room Peter used, she heard movement on the other side of the door and then it flew open and Peter came into the hall, almost bumping into Charmain. Peter's face turned red and Charmain felt her own grow hot.

"Good morning," Charmain whispered.

"Yeah. Morning," he answered.

Charmain pushed past him and went into the kitchen, Peter not far behind her. She ordered the dog food, then placed her own order. Breakfast was quiet. Maybe it was because they were both too embarrassed to talk. Or maybe it was because they were both lost in thought.

"Charmain, there is something I want to tell you," Peter started.

"What is it?" she asked without looking at him.

"I just want to know how you feel about me. I made it quite clear how I feel about you," Peter said.

Charmain was quiet while she thought about it. How did she feel about him? Did she really have feelings for him?

"To be honest with you, I have no idea if I have romantic feelings toward you. I like you, I really do. But, my feelings do not go past 'best friend'. You are the best friend that I could ever ask for. I just don't think we would be good together. Besides, I know I am not ready for a relationship," Charmain said. "I do have one question for you. Why me?"

"You were the first girl that I was able to get close to. You make me happy. I love hanging around you. I mean, you are the only girl I actually like. I have met other girls, and they have tried to get with me. But, every time they talked to me, all I could think about was you. I love you and I only want you!"

Silence followed Peters little speech. Charmain wasn't sure what to say to that. She just knew that the feeling she had was not feelings of love. She didn't really want to say anything, but she knew she had to let him down.

"I'm sorry, Peter, but I can not return your feelings. I may later, but not now. I have never really thought of you as a boyfriend."

"So, basically, you are rejecting me," he said.

Peter stood up and opened the door to the living room. He went into the living room and went out the front door.

"Where are you going?" Charmain asked, following him out the door.

"I'm going for a walk," he said, not looking at her.

Charmain stood in the front garden and watched him walk away. She felt bad for rejecting him, but she had to do it. She had to make it clear to him that she had no romantic feelings for him. She cared about him, but not in the way he cared about her. She sighed and looked up at the sky. It looked like it might rain. She heard the distant rumbling of thunder and saw a distant flash of lightning. Charmain looked the way Peter went and saw that he was just a distant spot on the landscape. She went inside and closed all the windows and doors and went back into the front garden. The thunder was louder and the flash of lightning was closer.

She looked around for Peter and didn't see any sign of him. She was starting to get worried. She sat at the table in the yard and watched for him. She continued to sit there until it started to rain. She went inside and sat down on the couch and before she knew it she was asleep.

The dream Charmain had was a happy one. She dreamed about her and Peter. They were in a relationship and she was happy in her dream. She was awoke by a load crash of thunder and the rain had increased. She could hardly see out the window. She didn't know if Peter was back yet. She went through the house, looking for him and couldn't find him. She sat down in the chair he usually frequented and stared out the window. She hoped he would be home soon.

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A/N: Well, what did you think? I know it's not as long as my other chapters and I am sorry. I had a hard time writing this chapter. Maybe I should read the book again. Well, I had writers block and I am working now. I don't seem to have for anything. I don't even have time to play my Xbox 360. I need to finish playing Tales of Vesperia, then I have a game called Enchanted Arms and I am getting another game from my boyfriend. Wish I had one day where I didn't have to do anything but sit around and play my games. I miss those days. Anyways, constructive criticism is welcome, but please, no flames. Merry Christmas and happy new year! See you in chapter four!


	4. In Which Peter Makes a Decision

A/N: Hello all! Happy new year! I am here with the new chapter you were all waiting for! Today was my day off (writing this on Sunday), and I was going to play games, but I finished this chapter for you all instead! I know YesIEatQuiche asked about this, but in the book, I think they are 13 or 14. I know when they were the Royal Mansion in the last chapter in the book, Peter's mom said that she had been searching for the Elfgift for 13 years. So, in my story, Charmain and Peter are about 18 or 19 years old. If I am wrong on that, please correct me. Also, I did change the way they spoke. In this chapter, I took out "I am" and used "I'm". So, I hope you enjoy chapter four of _Stand By Me_!

Disclaimer: I do not own _House of Many Ways. _Diana Wynne Jones owns it. If I owned it, well... Do you really wanna know?

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Chapter Four: In Which Peter Makes a Decision

It had been nine hours since Peter had left, and Charmain was wandering aimlessly through the house. She hoped he was okay. The rain had increased in intensity and the thunder was louder than ever. Charmain wandered from room to room and even went out into the rain once to see if she could see him outside. She wasn't sure where he would be. Then it hit her. He might be at the Royal Mansion! Charmain quickly went the way to the Conference room and raced down the hallways, followed by Waif and Steffy. She saw Sim walking slowly ahead of her and she sped up.

"Sim!" she called, when she got closer.

Sim turned around and looked surprised to see Charmain there.

"Miss Charming! What are you doing here this late?" he asked.

"Is Peter here?" she gasped, clutching at a stitch in her side.

"Yes, his Highness did come back about an hour ago. He was soaked to the bone. It looked like he walked from Wizard Norland's house. I'm surprised he didn't take that remarkable magical way."

"Where is he?" Charmain asked, not listening to what Sim was saying.

"He's up in his room. Shall I go fetch him for you?"

"Yes, please do," Charmain said.

"Then please, make yourself at home in the parlor over there," Sim said, shuffling off.

Charmain made her way slowly to the parlor and sat down. As she was waiting, Princess Hilda came in with a maid following her, pushing a trolley loaded with food and tea.

"Good evening, Miss Charming. We weren't expecting to see you this late. What do we owe to this surprise visit?" she asked.

"I'm here to see Peter," Charmain said. "He left the house after we had a little... disagreement. He didn't come back to Great Uncle Williams, so I grew worried and decided to see if he was here."

"Yes, Peter arrived here about an hour ago, completely drenched. We asked him what had happened, but he wouldn't tell us," Princess Hilda said, handing Charmain a cup of tea. "Could you possibly tell me what this disagreement was about?"

Charmain took a sip of tea and didn't answer right away. How was she supposed to explain how he confessed to her and then how she turned him down? She looked up into Princess Hilda's withered face and decided she could trust her.

"Last night, Peter told me that he loved me. This morning, I had rejected him. That's when he left."

"Ah. So, it wasn't a disagreement. It was a case of lost love. I had some idea of how he felt about you. But, I also noticed that you didn't seem to have any feelings past friendship for him. I never pegged you for a romantic person, and Peter sure isn't like that. I'm just surprised he told you how he felt."

At that moment, the door flew open and Peter came into the room, wearing a purple satin suit.

"What are you doing here, Charmain?"

"Miss Charming came to see you, Peter. Now, if you will excuse me, I will leave you two alone to talk," Princess Hilda said.

Princess Hilda and the maid left the room, leaving an awkward silence between them. Peter sat in a chair that was sitting across the room from Charmain and didn't look at her.

"What are you doing here?" Peter asked again.

"I grew worried when you didn't come to come back to the house. So, I decided to see if you were here," she said.

"Well, as you can see, there was no reason to worry about me. I'm fine as you can see," Peter retorted. "So you can go back to Wizard Norland's house!"

"What is wrong with you? Why are being so mean to me?" Charmain asked.

Peter stood and walked over to the window and looked outside at the rain.

"While I was walking, I was able to do some thinking and clear my head. You were right, I could have any girl in the entire Kingdom and I have decided to find myself a wife. I'm at that age where I need to get married. Needless to say, you won't be a Candidate for me to marry. I have given up on you. You have already showed me that you do not have the same feelings I have for you. I will be by the house tomorrow to get my clothes, and that will be the last time you see me. I'll be giving up on my magic lessons as well."

Charmain was shocked. She didn't know what to think. How could he give up on his magic lessons? That was the reason he had come to see her Great Uncle five years ago!

"But, Peter-" Charmain started, but he cut her off.

"So, please leave now, Charmain," he said, still not looking at her.

Charmain stood and placed her still full cup of tea on the table beside her.

"Well, I guess I will see you tomorrow then," Charmain said, opening the door to the parlor.

She used the magical hallway to get back to the house, and when she reached the house, she sat down in a chair in the kitchen and burst into tears. Not only was she crying because she lost her best friend, but also because she realized she was in love with Peter. Charmain sat that for a long time. She couldn't remember the last time she cried. She had a vague memory of her mom telling her not to cry because it wasn't respectable. But, Charmain didn't care. Her heart had been broken by her best friend and the man she was starting to love. When it happened was still a mystery to her.

When Charmain had no more tears to shed, she ordered food for Waif and Steffy, but for once, she didn't have an appetite. She sat at the table and watched the dogs eat. When they were done eating, Charmain stood up and after turning right, opened the door to go to bed. On her way to bed, she stooped and looked into Peter's room. It was clean, and his bag of clothes were sitting on the floor. She looked away and continued on her way to her room. Charmain felt numb as she changed into her pajamas and climbed into bed. As she lay in the dark room, listening to the rain, she started to cry again and ended up crying herself to sleep.

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A/N: What did you think? Yes, I made Charmain cry. Most people cry when they are hurt and I think this is the first time Charmain has been hurt, so it's particularly painful for her. I remember the first time my heart was broken. I had cried for a long time. And I continued to cry every other time my heart was broken. I am a very emotional person. Anyways, I have an idea of where this is going to lead, but I am thinking up all this stuff as I go, so I hope you enjoy it! Also, on Saturday (Jan. 29th), I am going to Ohayocon! It's an anime con here in Ohio. It's going to be great. I am super excited. So, I will let you know how that goes in the next chapter! Anyways, constructive criticism is welcome, but please, no flames. See you in chapter five!


	5. Which Charmain Deals with a Broken Heart

A/N: Hello everybody! I am so sorry that I have not updated in over a year! I lost my inspiration, and then my boyfriend of two years dumped me last March, so that kind of contributed to not getting this done. I do apologize for the lack of dialogue, but I wanted to focus on Charmain's feelings, and she may seem ooc. So, I am sorry for that. Anyways, I will try to be more diligent in the future. I do plan to finish this story. I hate not finishing stories. So, without further ado, here is the long awaited chapter five!

Disclaimer: I do not own _House of Many Ways. _Diana Wynne Jones owns it. I kind of wish I owned it.

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Chapter Five: In Which Charmain Deals with a Broken Heart

When Charmain awoke the next morning, it took her a few minutes to realize why she felt so horrible. As she rolled over onto her back to stare at the ceiling, the images came flooding back. Peter had outright rejected her, but she knew she shouldn't feel like this. She had rejected Peter first. As she thought back to the morning before, Charmain remembered how she felt when she told Peter that she didn't love him. She had felt a little tingle of fear. Fear of what? That she didn't know. Maybe it was fear of being hurt. She was being hurt now, since Peter had rejected her. But, what seemed to hurt even more is that Peter was going to start looking for a wife. She rolled over onto her side and didn't want to get out of bed. Steffy and Waif were by the door, whining.

_'They must be hungry,'_ she thought.

Charmain got out of bed, slowly. Without bothering to get dressed, she pulled her dressing gown over her night gown and slipped on her slippers. As soon as Charmain opened the door, Waif and Steffy took off down the hall, and Charmain followed slowly. She stopped in the bathroom and looked at herself in the mirror. Her eyes were red and swollen, which was expected. After all she did cry herself to sleep. She turned the tap on and filled her hands with cold water. She splashed the cold water on her face, and the swelling in her eyes went down slightly, but they were still red.

She left the bathroom and opened the door to the kitchen. The dogs bounded out into the kitchen and whined at the back door. She opened the door and the dogs went running. Charmain stood on the back step and watched the dogs. It was such a nice day after the storm they had the night before. She looked up at the sky and saw nothing but a clear blue sky, with a few clouds here and there. As she stood by the back door, waiting for the dogs to come back, she heard the magical door open, and she knew Peter had arrived. She turned around and saw Peter standing by the door, stock still.

"Good morning, Charmain," he said. "I came to get my things."

Charmain nodded, but didn't say anything. She didn't trust herself to say anything. She was afraid if she said anything, she would start to cry again. The dogs bounded into the kitchen and walked over to Peter, their tails wagging. Peter bent down to pet them, then he straightened up and looked right at Charmain.

"You're not going to talk to me?" he asked.

Charmain thought she saw something like sadness flit across his face. Charmain shook her head and she looked away from Peter. He nodded his head and went through the magical doorway to the room he was staying in to get his stuff. He came back a few minutes later, with his bag, and Charmain was still standing where he left her. She hadn't moved at all. Her jaw was set and she was desperately holding back tears.

"Well, I'll see you around, Charmain," Peter said.

He opened the magical door and he was gone. The door shut and Charmain was left alone. She felt the familiar burning of tears behind her eyes. She ignored the feeling and ordered two plates of dog food for the dogs. She knew she needed to eat something, too. But, even though Charmain didn't feel hungry, she ordered a bowl of cereal.

She played with it more than she ate it, but she did eat it all. Charmain sat at the table for a few minutes, deciding on what to do. Maybe, she would catch up on her reading. After all, it was Peter's fault that she didn't much reading done the last couple of days. But, as she thought that, she felt a rush of guilt. She couldn't blame it all on poor Peter. Charmain ultimately found herself walking down the hall to her room, with Waif and Steffy behind her. She didn't want to do anything, but curl up in a little ball under the covers.

When she reached her room, she slipped off her slippers and her dressing gown and climbed into bed. Charmain felt two thumps on that bed that came from the two dogs. The two white balls of fluff seemed to know something was wrong with Charmain. They both curled up next to her and lay there beside her. She smiled in spite of the pain she felt, and she buried her face in the pillow. She couldn't stop crying this time.

She cried into her pillow and after a few hours, she got up to feed the dogs. Once again, her eyes hurt and they were red. Charmain walked to the bathroom and washed her face. Charmain walked into the kitchen, fed the dogs and she had another bowl of cereal. She let the dogs out and as she watched them bound around outside and sniff around, her eyes were drawn to the city.

As Charmain stared at the city, she found herself thinking about Peter. If he was going to be that way, then that was fine with her. She didn't need him anyways. She didn't care what he did with his life anymore. It wasn't any of her concern. If he was going to look for a wife, then she was going to look for a husband. But, as she thought that, she felt her heart break just a little more. She ignored the feeling she felt and stalked back into the house, the dogs following her.

"I don't need you anymore, Peter," she said out loud. "I'm not going to bother myself with you any longer."

* * *

A/N: Well, what did you think? I am sorry if it sucked. It was kind of hard to write. I promise the next chapter will be better and hopefully put out faster. I am looking for a new job, and if I get the one I want, I may have even less time to write. But, I hope this made you happy to see that I finally updated. This time, I will try to reply to the reviews I get. Anyways, constructive criticism is welcome, but please, no flames.


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